Dog ownership and blood pressure

Owning a dog helps your heart. Dog ownership has so many benefits that perhaps it is no real surprise that dogs can help us stay healthy. Recent studies have shown that this is not just due to becoming fit from all the walks our dogs need, in fact the time we spend stroking, patting and talking to our dogs may be more beneficial in releasing feel-good hormones that also benefit health. Owning a dog can actually mean a better response to high stress and pressured environments. Scientists have measured the difference in studies and found dog owners didn’t have the spikes in blood pressure that non-dog owners did when in stressful situations, and dog owners showed better task-management abilities compared to their counterparts. 

So as life starts to go back to normal here in the UK, and we return to busy routines and stressful environments, finding time to just sit and connect with your dog each day, might be a new healthy habit to keep.